Oregon fishing reports
384 reports for Oregon — what's biting, water temps, and where to focus.
Widening Tides Set the Pace for Oregon Coast Anglers
NOAA CO-OPS station 9435380 reads 54.9°F this morning, while station 9439040 checks in far warmer at 64.9°F, a notable gap between the two readings along the Oregon Coast. Station 9439040's next high tide lands around 11:10 a.m. local time, with its next low following at 4:27 p.m. Station 9435380's next low arrives close behind at 3:25 p.m. The moon is in a waxing gibbous phase, building toward full and pushing tidal exchange wider through the week.
Columbia River steelhead run hits historic low this fall
This fall's Columbia River steelhead run is tracking as the smallest ever recorded, according to Hatch Magazine, with just over 52,000 fish counted above Bonneville Dam since counting began July 1. That scarcity is the defining storyline for anglers working the system right now: fewer fish moving through means slower, patchier action even as water cools into the fall migration window. The Waxing Gibbous moon adds a touch of extra light to overnight and early-morning drifts this week, which anglers here typically lean into during low-count years.
Columbia steelhead run hits historic low as fall sets in
This year's Columbia River steelhead run is shaping up to be the smallest ever recorded, per Hatch Magazine. Fish counts above Bonneville Dam have totaled just over 52,000 since tallying began July 1, the worst return since counting started at the dam. For anglers working the Columbia this week, that means a genuinely slow season, with far fewer fish moving through than a typical fall run and less consistent action to plan around.
Building tides sharpen timing windows on the Oregon Coast
NOAA's South Beach station puts the open Oregon Coast water at 56.7°F this morning, while the Astoria gauge near the Columbia River bar reads a warmer 62.1°F, where estuary flow mixes into the tide. That split is typical for this time of year, as the open coast cools ahead of the river-mouth water. Low tide at South Beach falls near 3:22 a.m. local, building through the morning to a high around 10:25 a.m.; at Astoria the low sits near 4:30 a.m. with the high following around 11:10 a.m.
Oregon Coast Tides Shift as the Fall Transition Takes Hold
Water temperatures diverge sharply along the Oregon Coast this week. NOAA's Garibaldi station (9435380) reads 56.1°F while the Astoria station (9439040) near the Columbia River mouth sits at 64.4°F, a gap that reflects the estuary holding onto summer warmth longer than the open coast. Both stations show their next low tide arriving mid-afternoon: 2:10 p.m. PDT at Garibaldi, 3:16 p.m. PDT at Astoria, setting up a workable outgoing-tide window for boats working that stretch. Forum chatter on IFish.net Fishing Reports points to brisk activity near the mouth of the Columbia this week, though it remains unconfirmed by any shop, charter, or agency source.
Oregon Coast anglers work early tides as fall transition holds
Water along the Oregon Coast is settling into the high 50s, with NOAA CO-OPS station 9435380 reading 58.6°F and station 9439040 reading 59.2°F early this morning, barely half a degree apart across the stretch of coastline between them. Both stations are tracking the same tide rhythm today: a predawn low just after 2 AM building into a mid-morning high near 9:30 to 10:15 AM. On IFish.net's Oregon board, anglers describe steady boat traffic and active trolling near the Buoy 10 zone this week, plus trips launching out of Garibaldi into calm ocean conditions.
Oregon Coast settles into its fall water-temperature transition
Oregon Coast water temperatures show a notable split this week: NOAA CO-OPS station 9435380 reads 56.7°F while station 9439040 comes in at 64.4°F, a gap that reflects how much local exposure and mixing vary along this stretch of coastline in mid-September. Both stations point to an early-afternoon low tide today, September 19 — 12:40 p.m. PDT at 9435380 and 1:52 p.m. PDT at 9439040 — putting the strongest outgoing current of the day right around midday.
Historic-low steelhead run clouds outlook on cool, low Deschutes flows
Water on the upper Deschutes system is running cold and thin heading into the weekend. Three reporting USGS gauges (14070900, 14070624, 14070621) show flows between 6.1 and 18.6 cfs with temperatures holding at 38-40°F as of Saturday morning, typical for the spring-fed tributaries in this stretch. The bigger story for the fall run is regional: Hatch Magazine reports the 2026 Columbia and Snake river steelhead run is shaping up as the smallest ever recorded, with just over 52,000 fish counted above Bonneville Dam since tallies began July 1. That basin-wide shortfall points toward a slow steelhead season working into Deschutes tributaries this fall.
Morning High Tide Frames the Bite Along the Oregon Coast
Coastal water temperatures are split this week: NOAA CO-OPS station 9435380 off South Beach reads 58.5°F, a typical late-summer number for the open Oregon coast, while the Astoria-area station 9439040 runs warmer at 66.2°F, reflecting river outflow rather than ocean temperature. Both stations show a single well-defined high tide midday, arriving around 8-9 a.m. and dropping toward low by early afternoon, a clean window for anyone planning a morning trip. Anglers posting to IFish.net describe active trolling near the river mouths this week, though that's a single, uncorroborated forum thread rather than a shop or charter report, so treat it as chatter rather than a confirmed pattern.
Oregon Coast fall salmon run holds strong as tides swing wide
Water temps sit at 57.9°F at station 9435380 and 61°F at station 9439040 this morning, typical late-summer-into-fall numbers for the Oregon Coast. The bigger story is timing: after a week's break, Dave Hurley reported for Western Outdoor News — Saltwater that the fall ocean salmon opener on September 1 delivered limits to near-limits of big, hard-fighting salmon for both party and private boats in the San Francisco zone, the first such opener after three years of closure. That same fall push and cooling-water pattern is now working up the coast, and Oregon anglers running similar troll and mooching setups near river mouths and headlands should expect the bite to build through the change of season.
Chinook chatter builds as Columbia steelhead run hits a historic low
Hatch Magazine's read on this year's Columbia and Snake river steelhead run is stark: with just over 52,000 fish tallied at Bonneville Dam since counting began July 1, 2026 is shaping up as the smallest steelhead migration ever recorded on the system. That's the headline number anglers need heading into fall. On the Chinook side, chatter out of IFish.net Fishing Reports points to some life lower in the system — one angler working solo near Buoy 10, just north of the green line off Skippanon, reported hot trolling action before losing a rod overboard in heavy boat traffic. Treat that as one data point rather than a confirmed pattern; there's no shop or charter corroboration yet, and no fresh buoy or gauge readings to pair with it. Sturgeon fishing continues at its typical late-summer pace on the lower river. Expect steelhead numbers to stay thin, and watch for Chinook reports to firm up as more boats get out.
Columbia Steelhead Run Hits Historic Low as Fall Chinook Builds
Fisheries managers have tallied just over 52,000 steelhead above Bonneville Dam since counts began July 1, according to Hatch Magazine — putting the 2026 Columbia and Snake river steelhead migration on pace to be the smallest ever recorded. That's the headline number shaping expectations on the Columbia system this month, and it's worth knowing before planning a steelhead-focused trip on the mainstem or into Rogue tributaries. Fall chinook, by contrast, typically build through September on the Columbia as cooler water and shorter days trigger the seasonal push upriver, though we don't have a direct bite report to confirm current pace this week. Smallmouth bass and resident rainbow trout should stay reasonably active as water temperatures ease off summer highs. No live buoy or gauge readings came back for this update, so treat flow and temp as unconfirmed until you check a current gauge before heading out.